Most people are aware that the Earth revolves around the Sun every 24 hours. However most people don’t know that the speed at which the Earth rotates is not the same every day. It is possible for a day to appear longer or shorter than what you’d expect. That is why the timekeeping atomic clocks which maintain standardized time must be regularly adjusted by adding or subtracting a second. This is referred to as leap seconds. This article will explain how this shift occurs and why it’s important to our daily schedules.
One standard rotating event is precession, a periodic wobble of Earth’s central axis of motion, similar to as a slightly off-center spinning toy top. The change in axial direction relative to fixed stars (inertial spaces) has a duration of 25,771.5. This is also the reason for the direction of cyclones both in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. Other rotating events include the Chandler wobble free nutation, Polar motion.
In addition to these regular occasions, the rotator’s speed can be affected by weather conditions and other elements including earthquakes. If the core of the Earth rotates faster, then a day can feel shorter. This change is caused by tidal forces acting on the surface of the Earth as well as gravitational pulls from other objects in the Solar System, such as Jupiter and Saturn. This is the reason the Earth’s speed of rotation must be accounted for when designing fun park rides like Ferris wheels or carousels.